My ears still haven’t fully recovered from being close to the stage the first time I saw Sleigh Bells at Coachella back in 2014. But that hasn’t turned me away from seeing them again, as I did Friday night at the Teragram Ballroom in the second of two packed shows.
The duo of producer/guitarist Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss — which performs live as a four-piece — is touring in support of their latest album Texis — which dropped September 10 via Mom + Pop. The album is a return to form as the ear-melting guitar riffs of Miller and and hip-hop infused lyricism of Krauss blend perfectly — and the energy they brought to the stage when playing those new songs made them rip even harder.
The classics were there — “Infinity Guitars”, “Rill Rill”, and the encore finishing “Crown on the Ground”. But five cuts from the latest record had fans just as riled up, with the dancey almost Mortal Kombat sounding “SWEET75” being a standout.
Alexis Krauss is a ball of energy incarnate, and her enthusiasm is palpable at all times.
I started the show towards the back of the crowd but by the midway point was in it — masked up, of course. It was a helluva show and I can’t wait to catch them again! They finish up their west coast tour October 28 in Seattle and will return to the road on the east coast in February.
Photos by Tim Aarons
